9-year-old from Spring helps others despite ailment

Published 6:30 am, Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Even though he was born with a serious medical condition, 9-year-old Jacob Guerra prefers to think about the welfare of others.

Jacob was born with Jeune Syndrome, an ailment where bones and cartilage – particularly in the rib cage – do not develop properly, said Veronica Guerra, the boy’s mother. Jacob also has scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.

His situation didn’t keep him from coordinating a toy drive during the holidays to collect gifts for patients in the Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.

Though Jacob and his parents live in the Cypress Trails subdivision in Spring, Jacob has spent a lot of time in the San Antonio hospital, where a specialist who treats Jeune Syndrome practices, Veronica Guerra said.

“Jacob knows what it’s like to spend Christmas in the hospital,” she said. “So he set out to collect toys for patients who couldn’t spend the holidays at home.”

Though Jacob spent this Christmas at home, he has spent several in the past, including Christmas 2007, in the hospital due to complications from his affliction, she said.

Jacob established a goal of buying $500 worth of toys, so the Guerras held a yard sale on Dec. 13. People in the community were eager to cooperate and many donated items to be sold or simply dropped off presents for the hospital patients, Veronica Guerra said.

After purchasing toys with the money raised, the presents were dropped off at the hospital on Christmas day.

Jacob said he couldn’t help but think of the kids who couldn’t go home for the holidays.

“I was very excited that we reached our goal,” he said. “I’m happy we could get (the kids) some toys.”